Finding 979296 (2023-001)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
C
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2023
Accepted
2024-06-26

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Misappropriation of tenant rent payments occurred due to weak internal controls over cash receipts.
  • Impacted Requirements: The Organization and property management company failed to implement effective supervision and segregation of duties.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Design and enforce stronger internal controls for cash handling and ensure the property management company adheres to these controls.

Finding Text

Finding 2023-001: Internal Control over Cash Receipts Condition: The Organization hired a property management company to perform property management functions. Tenant rent payments were misappropriated by an outside contractor hired by the property management company. Criteria: The Organization and management company are responsible for designing, maintaining and implementing internal controls over cash receipts, including employee and contractor supervision and segregation of duties, in order to properly record and track tenant revenue and receivables. Effect: Internal controls over cash receipts did not properly prevent or identify the misappropriation of tenant rent payments processed by the management company Cause: The Organization had an oversight in internal controls set in place to prevent the misappropriation of cash receipts by staff members, contractors and the management company to identify when misappropriation had occurred. Recommendation: The Organization should design internal controls to properly secure custody of cash receipts, and subsequent application to and reconciliation of tenant ledgers. The property management company should implement the internal controls designed by the Organization. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management is in agreement with the Auditor’s findings. Management has hired additional personnel and implemented stricter internal controls to prevent similar thefts from recurring in the future, and has conducted a site visit to confirm that the controls have been implemented and are functioning correctly.

Categories

Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 402854 2023-001
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
14.228 Community Development Block Grants/state's Program and Non-Entitlement Grants in Hawaii $1.96M
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $621,400
14.900 Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control in Privately-Owned Housing $140,000
21.019 Coronavirus Relief Fund $100,000
14.218 Community Development Block Grants/entitlement Grants $30,000
14.252 Section 4 Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing $27,856
14.239 Home Investment Partnerships Program $20,000